Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-03

State except England, which is
already Russia's declared enemy.
It is the only region in which
the irregular warfare learned among
Tartars and Bashkirs-absolutely use
less against the disciplined strategy Of
Europe-can perhaps be turned to ac-
count. 1t has the attraction of recent
success THAT of Penjeh) and the assist
ance of the new railway from the Cas-
plan sea to Merv, which, however i'm
perfect, makes any advance toward the
Afghan border infinitely easier than it
would have been ten years ago. Above
all. it offers to Russian ambition,
through the present disturbed state of
Afghanistan itself and the wild tribes
around it, an admirable opportunity
for the exercise OF that INSCRIPTIONS
diplomacy which has done more to en-
large the empire OF the Gar than all
his 600, 900 bayonets put together.
One other feature of the question
and that by no means the least i'm
portant-s still remains to be consider
ed-viz., Russia's real position at the
present moment with regard to Eastern
Europe. England's persistent cham
pionship of the "unspeakable Turk "
and her repeated Illustration OF Rus
sia's designs upon the latter have
led many superficial observers to
conclude that the sole obstacle
TO the final triumph of the Cross
over the Crescent lies in the anti
Russian policy of the British Govern
ment and of the allies whom it from
time to time summoned to its assistance.
A greater mistake could hardly be
made. Even had England never stirred
a finger in defence of the Sultan, Rus
STA would probably be almost as far
from the Bosporus as she is now. The
real stumbling block in her path thither
is not the open and ayowed hostility
of England, but the silent, steadfast
opposition OF Austria. In fact,
one glance at the map of Europe
will suffice to show that Austria is
now what Poland was two centuries
osv--ylL., the natural Susl ai~r Of tla0
northern approach to the Danube. On
this point no further testimonyis need
ed than the words of the Gar Nicholas
himself, when, having learned by fatal
experience that his rescue of Austria
from insurgent Hungary in 18i9 had
enraped the latter without conciliating
the former, he muttered beside the
statue of Sobieski at Warsaw the bitter
epipram which history has preserved /:
s'That man and l are the two greatest
fools OF modern times, for We both
saved Vienna"
These facts suggested eighty-two
years ago political change which, If
carried out, might have altered the his
tory of the whole civilized world. One
bleak December morning in 1905, Just
after the victory of Austerlitz had laid
all Europe at the feet of France, two
men sat in a Morayian cottage with a
map o. Europe outspread on the rough
plank table before them. Upon the
discussion in which they were engaged
hung the fate of millions of men, for
one Of them was Prince Tallerand and
the other Napoleon Bonaparte.
"Sire," said Tallerand, pointing TO
the map, "the chief obstruction to the
progress of France in the East is Rus
STA, and the natural opponentof Russia
in the same quarter is Austria. Your
Majesty would therefore do well to push
Austria further to the eastward by
taking yenetia from her and giving II
to Italy, thus erecting the latter into a
bulwark between the Austrian empire
and France. You might then compen
safe Austria by bestowing upon her the
Dapubian provinces of Moldavia and
W,llachia, which would plant her right
across the path along which Russia Is
advancing toward Constantinople.
he great conqueror sighted the
WHY counsel which might have savec
him, and the neglected opportunity
passed away never to return. But by
a singular turn of fortune the very
changes which Tallerand recommend
ed as specially profitable to France
have since been brought about by
frances chief enemies. Austria hai
leen "pushed further to the east
ward" by Germany (the very phrase
which Prince Bismarck employed at thu
time). and Venetia has been actually
taken from her and given to Italy
while the provinces of Moldavia ant
Wallachia, though not bestowed upoI
Austria, have been equally planted
across the path of Russia's advances
southwark as the independent kingdom
If Roumania.
Meanwhile Austria, unconscicusl,
making good the calculations OF tn
modern Machiavelli, has been impeding
Russiss advance at every turn. Ii
1853 the march of the Russian arm,
under General Aurep into Lesser Wal
lacbia was formidably hampered by tn
doubtful attitude of the Austrian troop
along the frontier of Pennsylvania. Ii
1854 Austrias unfriendly tone com
PEELED Russia to keep large force IN
der arms amid the deadly swamps O
Poland during the heat OF summer
thereby losing thousands OF men with
cut ever seeing the face OF an enemy
In 1855, Just at the crisis OF tn
Crimean war, Austria was barely re
strained from openly joining the Euro
pean league against Russia by til
diplomatic genius of the youngs
Prince Gortschakoff, who then mad
bis first step to greatness. Since tha
time nerinterest in the eastern questso
has been more active than ever, an
she has persistently outhanked Russia
southwark advance at every stage, FIR
by her occupation OF Bosnia and Hel
zegovina in 1873, and more recently b
her undisguised endeavors to force ht
way southeastward through Alban
and Macedonia TO Salonica, and to unit
, by means of a railway which she h'
/ already half completed, the Danut
, and the shores Of the Rgean.
] in all these more recent complies
, tons, however, Austria has bee
: made doubly formidable in the eyes
Russia by the shadow OF German
looming in dim menace behind he
Ever since the conference OF the Gle
! man snd Austrian Emperors at Gastel
! in 1872 Russia has been haunted !